Disable Smilies in This Post. Show Signature: include your profile signature. Only registered users may have signatures.

*If HTML and/or UBB Code are enabled, this means you can use HTML and/or UBB Code in your message.

If you have previously registered, but forgotten your password, click here.

T O P I C R E V I E W

Robert Pearlman

NASA release

NASA Rolls Out New Artifact Loan Program With Shuttle Tires

With the help of the space shuttle program, NASA kicks off a new artifact loan program for museums, planetariums, and other organizations. NASA's new Artifact Loan Opportunities Program will help organizations borrow NASA artifacts for education and outreach purposes.

The first artifacts available are main landing gear tires from space shuttles. The space shuttle tires, including some flown on missions, are available to proposing organizations that NASA determines best meet the agency's education and public outreach goals.

This new program gives organizations that are not traditionally associated with the agency the chance to have access to NASA artifacts. The shuttle tires and future available artifacts represent NASA's many decades of exploration and discovery.

Organizations interested in proposing uses for loaned shuttle tires should be external to NASA. Organizations may include, but are not limited to, museums, schools, and civic groups. The long-term loan of these tires may be used to educate, inspire or inform the public about NASA's scientific and technological achievements through art, sculpture, furniture, building structures, exhibits or other innovative uses of the artifacts.

The deadline for proposals on this initial opportunity is June 11, 2008.

B.F. Goodrich merged its tire operations with Uniroyal in 1986, establishing the Uniroyal-Goodrich Tire Company. In 1988, B.F. Goodrich sold its interest in the company and exited the aerospace tire market.

In 1990, Michelin acquired Uniroyal-Goodrich and in 1995, the first set of Michelin Air tires were used on the space shuttle.

mjanovec

I'm not sure I would want to see these tires turned into sculpture or furniture... though I wouldn't oppose a few tires getting a unique sort of treatment, especially if they are unflown examples.

Since they were going to sell the tires for scrap, why don't they instead choose a handful of the flown tires and cut them into 3"x3" squares (or maybe 1-inch wide cross-sections) for sale at the gift shop? Mount them on a plaque with information describing the mission the tire flew on and a photo of the orbiter landing at the end of that mission (so you can see the tire "in action").

Another option would be cutting the tire into 1" cubes and encasing in lucite with a mission information card. Either way, I think they would make for a neat little display, be a relatively inexpensive flown hardware item for collectors, would serve to educate those who saw the displays, and would make some money for NASA in the process.

Robert Pearlman

quote:Originally posted by mjanovec:...and would make some money for NASA in the process.

The transfer of NASA property must comply with the Stevenson-Wydler Act, which calls for federal agencies to give surplus equipment to educational entities.

I believe it would be difficult in the current political climate for NASA to justify the souvenir sale of tire segments (which would also presumably cost them something to ready the tires for retail sale) when loans are possible.

That said, I hope that this program can 'warm the waters' for future opportunities when NASA might surplus shuttle equipment directly (or through a contractor) to the public as the shuttle era ends.

mjanovec

quote:Originally posted by Robert Pearlman:The transfer of NASA property must comply with the Stevenson-Wydler Act, which calls for federal agencies to give surplus equipment to educational entities.

Is that why, ultimately, they didn't sell the tires for scrap?

Perhaps, if NASA can't directly sell the tire segments, they could gift them to organizations (like the ASF) who could prepare tire segments for fund raising efforts. That way, the tires would directly benefit an organization that is aimed at helping people receive educations.

Robert Pearlman

quote:Originally posted by Robert Pearlman:Is that why, ultimately, they didn't sell the tires for scrap?

In 2005, NASA cited "education and outreach activities" as the reason for the surplus sale's cancellation, which would be consistent with the act's provisions.

quote:Perhaps, if NASA can't directly sell the tire segments, they could gift them to organizations (like the ASF) who could prepare tire segments for fund raising efforts.

To quote NASA, "A long-standing policy prevents NASA from participating in any activity that is associated with fundraising... either directly or indirectly."

Robert Pearlman

The shuttle tires that were offered as part of NASA's Artifact Loan Opportunities Program have begun to reach their destinations.

The San Diego Air & Space Museum in California will display their tire as part of their annual Space Day celebration.

Have others seen more of the tires from this loan program reach their recipients?

BMckay

Clay Center/Observatory in Brookline MA has tires.

Constellation One

We have had our tire for months on display at our "Constellation One" classroom in Oberlin, Ohio.

Shalene

quote:Originally posted by Robert Pearlman:The San Diego Air & Space Museum in California will display their tire as part of their annual Space Day celebration.

We now have our STS-110 tire on display in our space galleries. It was on a mission with local astronaut Ellen Ochoa, which is why we selected it.

Hope you’ll come and see it!

FFrench

This tire (STS-83, according to the sign) is on display at the Maryland Science Center in Baltimore.

John McGauley

Science Central, a science museum in Fort Wayne, Indiana opened a new exhibit today dedicated to the Space Shuttle.

The centerpiece of the exhibit was a main landing gear tire flown on STS-83 in April 1997. It was nice to see one of these items, which had been headed for a scrap auction, showing up in regional museums!